In an effort to provide a traditional Thanksgiving meal to those less fortunate, Chef Tony Marotta and his team at The Walt Disney World Resort partnered with the Coalition for the Homeless to serve close to 600 people a feast on Thanksgiving.
The meal was prepped on Sunday, and included a bounty of traditional Thanksgiving favorites like roast turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans, pumpkin pie and sauces, gravy and cranberry relish all made from scratch.
Said Marotta:
It is an extremely rewarding experience to be able to provide a sense of family and involvement for those who would have otherwise missed out on this time of year, when sharing a meal and giving thanks as a family is so important.
In addition to the Thanksgiving meal, Walt Disney World Resort and Disney VoluntEARS support the organization throughout the year in a number of different ways. For example, food and beverage teams across Disney property have been providing meals for Coalition for the Homeless for over 10 years, and the organization also receives un-served and overflow of prepared food from various restaurants on Disney property through Disney Harvest.
Additionally, Engineering Services Cast Members typically help with the maintenance work for Coalition for the Homeless, such as cleaning air-conditioning units, while Disney VoluntEARS babysit children as their parents work on getting back on their feet.
Named as one of Disney’s top Helping Kids Shine grant recipients for the last three years, Coalition for the Homeless continues to receive support and assistance from Disney. For more information, please visit centralfloridahomeless.org.
